George Bittle or Büttel and wife Anna Barbara Sell from Urphar, Germany to Germany Twp, York County, Pennsylvania

We think George Büttel's parents are Johannes Buchard Büttel (1687-1754) and Maria Barbara Diehm or Dihn (1696-1752). This is based on research in the Urphar and Lindelbach Parish Registers which are available to us on microfilm. We have also examined other nearby parish records.

Using only parish registers leaves one open to an unexpected twist and does not meet the standard of excellence known in the genealogical community has an "exhaustive search". To further investigate George Büttel's ancestry, we need to conduct extensive research in records located in Wertheim, Baden, Germany. These records are all in the old German frakter script. It is one thing to use an alphabet list and a word list of the frakter script English equivalents to search parish registers, and another thing to read the script on old lesser used documents. If you are interested in helping to fund the hiring a professional genealogist in Germany, contact the Biddle Bittle Büttel Facebook Group.

Having said that, we have losely put together Johannes Buchard Büttel's parents as Joh Wolf Büttel (1656-1734) and Margaretha (1644-1724).

BIRTH

There are several possibilities for George Bittle's baptism.

One is possibility is recorded in the Urphar Evangelical Church as Johann Geörg Bietel (or Birtel) bapt 12 Jan 1728. Urphar is now in Mosbach, Baden, Germany. In former times Urphar was in what is refered to as the County of Wertheim. The surname is usually Büttel in the Urphar church books, but their was one recorder who spelled it Bietel or Birtel.

In English: 1728. 12 Jan, Johann Georg Bietel's son was bapt, the godparent was Johann George Diethmar who was the son of Jacob Diethmar, and the child's mother is called Margaretha and the child is called Johann Georg and he was born 6 weeks and 1 day too early.

A librarian at the Salt Lake Family History Library told me that when a premie was born the midwife usually baptised the child right there on the spot, and then the baptism was recorded later. So the baptismal date and birth date are probably the same in this Johann Georg case.

In English:"1726. 14 Dec Burchart Bietel's little son was baptised. The sponsor was Andreas Dirhn's son. The child is called Johann Georg."

For sometime I thought the Urphar bapt record was the one for the George Bittle who married Anna Barbara Sell, then when I found the Lindelbach bapt entry, I thought that was it. Even though his age at the time of marraige of 17 was still very young.

There is a third possiblity, and that is that he was born a significant amount of time even before 1726. This is based on some inference drawn out of his marriage record. Research to explore this possibililty has not been undertaken as it will need supporting evidence from records presently only available in Germany.

CHILDHOOD

Until George's parents are verified there isn't much to present on his childhood.

One thing that is striking to me is that George Bittle would have only been abt 15 years old when he got married if he is the one bapt in Urphar. However he would have been 17 if he is the George Bittle bapt in 1726 in Lindelbach.

Their is a burial record of a Eva Büttel age 1 1/2 in Urphar dated 19 Sep 1745, dau of Johann Georg Büttel. That means this Eva would have been born abt Mar of 1744. This Eva may have been a sister to the emmigrant George Bittle rather than his daughter. However it could be that Anna Barbara Sell was abt 3 months pregnant when she got married. It might explain why George Bittle (if he is the one bapt in Urphar 1728) married at such a young age.

Another obeservation though is that in the marriage records of George Bittle and Anna Barbara Sell, no father is given for George. This suggests that George was a widower. (Usually the father of the groom is mentioned even if he is deceased. If a person is a widower that is often mentioned, but a widower status is more likely to fail to be mentioned than the ommission of a father.) This thought suggests a previous marriage for our immigrant George Bittle. And in turn suggests he might not be either of the George Büttels mentioned in the previously cited baptism records, but an older fellow.

Another thought to consider as we sort out the 2 bapt records is that the George Büttel bapt in Lindelbach is the son of a Buchard Büttel and Maria Barbara Dihn. It appears that Buchard immigrated in 1752 with the Betz party. Buchard's dau, Anna Dorothea married Niclaus Weitzenholler and Nickes shows up on the 1752 Ship Phoenix passenger list 2 people away from an Andreas Buttel. This is, of course, the same ship our immigrant George Bittle sailed on. And of further interest is that Buchard had a son named Andreas who may very well be the Andreas Büttel mentioned on the Phoenix passenger list!

George Büttel and Anna Barbara Sell had 3 children born in Urphar before they emmigrated: Andrew (Andreas), Marie Salome, and Eva Barbara. (These same three children show up in birth order in George Bittle's will in 1779.)

Son, Andreas, was bapt 28 Jan 1746 in Urphar. Before we found the records in Germany, we knew Andrew was born in Germany, and from census records that he was born bef 1755. We also had a church sponsor record in 1764, so we had calculated 1764-21=1743 as his birth date. Which could still be true, depending on how old he was when bapt and whether he was concieved before his parents were married.

Andrew's bapt sponsor was Andreas Weissner.

Daughter, Marie Salome, was bapt 20 Jan 1748. Before finding her bapt record in Germany we had very little on her date of birth.

Marie Salome's sponsor was Peter Fleger's wife Salome.

Daughter, Eva Barbara, was bapt 7 Mar 1750. Before finding her bapt record in Germany we knew that the birth of her first child, Yost, was in 1773 so minus 16 yrs old = b. bef 1757.

Eva Barbara's sponsor was Joh Peter Klein's daughter Eva. I believe Peter Klein was born in Bettingen in 1682/1683 and died in Urphar in 1753.

EMMIGRATION

What follows are my own notes from my own look up, but I want to stress that I was told WHERE to look for a possible immigration record by a cousin who lives in Maryland and has done outstanding research on the Georg Bittle family. It is her research that connected son Andrew Biddle to Georg Bittle and pointed us towards Urphar.

The following quotes are from FHL US/CAN BOOK 974.8 B5f v. 12 The PA German Folklore Society, p.148-197, Journal Article: PA German Pioneers from the County of Wertheim by Otto Langguth (german genealogist) and translated and edited by Don Yoder, 1947.

p. 149: Otto Langguth's original work was entitled "Auswanderer aus der Grafschaft Wertheim"; Langguth's lists appeared in the German publications "Familiengeschichtliche Blatter" for 1932 and reprinted in the German publication in 1935 of "Jahrbuch des Historischen Vereins Alt-Wertheim". The lists are of emigrants who beg in the late 1740s applied to the Counts of Lowenstein-Wertheim for manumission from vassalage and permission to emigrate due to the hard times in southwestern Germany in those years.

p. 204: "BUETTEL, HANS JOERG -- Urfar (1752): May 4, 1752: wants to go to New England with wife and 3 children. Has 126 florin. Since, with his wife and chldren, he is "related to His Princely Highness by vassalage," he asked to be released from it, which costs him 21 florins. Mentioned also as emirgrant in the Village Mayor's Report for Urfar (1752): "Hans Joerg Buettel, with wife and 3 children." // Hans Joerg Buettel with Andreas Buettel and other werthimers, Ship Phoenix, Nov 2, 1752 (Hinke, I, 502-503). One George Bittle, singel, appears in the Tax List for Germany Tp., York (now Adams) Co, PA, for 1781 (3PA, XXI, p. 455); another among the Westmoreland County Rangers on the Frontiers, 778-1783 (3PA, XXIII, p. 324).

I believe the Burkard Buettel listed above may be George Bittle's father. The Andreas Buettel may be George Bittle's brother. The Christoph may also be a brother.

The entry doesn't prove that the George Biddle reference is the George Biddle of York county, Pennsylvania; but when you pulled the Evangelical church records of Urphar you can prove it by using what is known and developed concerning his family on this side of the ocean with what is contained in the Urphar records.

So it appears that George Bittle was a young adventureous 24 year old when he left Urphar for America with his 6 yr old son Andreas, 4 yr old dau Marie Salome, and 2 yr old dau Eva Barbara with a whole party of his kindred and friends. The local goverment was not pleased and really began cracking down on immigration. This was in line with the state trend of the government having such negative things read from the pulpit about conditions getting to and in America, that immigration quickly came to a hault.

IMMIGRATION

As noted above, George Bittle crossed the ocean on the Ship Phoenix in 1752. (Nov 2, 1752 Ship Phoenix, John Spurrier, Commmander, from Rotterdam, last from Portsmouth.) I have a copy of the passenger signature list, where he signs his name as Hans Jörg Büttel.

The www.palatine.org project has a nice map of the river routes taken of the German immigrants. I have not checked the Evangelical Parish records for cities along the river route to see if more children for George or Susannah Biddle's chr could be found. Also, listed on the passenger list is George Bittle's wifes brothers: George Sell and Andreas Sell. Other signatures that may be of significance are: Johann Phillipp Buch of Wertheim who was listed as the Emigration Agent in the passenger list per www.palatine.org. Also a Johann Philllipp Buch was just a few signatures away from Georg. Also, we may eventually find Hans Tomas Seger, Hans Gerbrich, Joseph Bennscherz, Loreritz Heffner, and Johann Heffner of significance. Other names of interest on the 1752 Phoenix passenger list are: Johannn Georg Strauss, Adereas Klein, Hans George (H) Gardner, Georg Friedrich Klein, J. Nicklas (xx) Stous,and Johan Nickles Klein.

The Phoenix landed in Philadelphia.

WHERE IS HE 1752-1760 AS HE WENT FROM PHILADELPHIA TO NORTHAMPTON, PENN.

In 1752 when he landed in Philadelphia he might have spent some time in German Twp, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. ("Germantown")

During this time, dau Susannah Bittle was born. If only we could find her bapt record!!! Also, son John Thomas was born 1755 in Pennsylvania. I suspect there may have been another child born abt 1757, but if so it didn't live past ag 22 because it wasn't mentioned in George Bittle's will.

The migration route fr Philadelphia to Allemengel had stops in what is now Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (specifically Faulkner's Swamp & New Hanover) and in Berks County (specifically Oley Hills and Goshephoppen). (Source: Warren J. Ziegler , Pennsylvania Genealogical Findings in the Allemangel Area: Jordon Lutheran Church 1740-1800 So. Whitehall Twp, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. FHL US/CAN Book 974.8 K2z v. 40)

In 1751, part of Philadelphia County became part of Berks County. And in 1784 part of Philadelphia County became Montgomery County. So, when the Bittle's arrived in 1752, and started their moved toward Allemangel they were either in Philadelphia County or Berks County.

PHILADELPHIA (AKA MONTGOMERY) COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA POSSIBILITIES

In 1757 we find a Christoph Buettel who might be the Christoph mentioned in Otto's book. That Christoph Buettel is in the part of Philadelphia County that would become Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, along with his wife Margarth where they have a son Andreas Bittel chr 29 Feb 1757 in the New Hanover Lutheran Church. The sponsor of their child was an Andreas Bauschlein. Note that their is an Andreas Bauschlein of Dietenham who came from Germany about 1753/1754 via the Christoph Hollenbach boat person. (see p. 277, Otto Languth. Also note that Christoph Buettel in Otto's work if from Dietham.)

Then a generation later the child Andreas Bittel, now grown and with his wife Barbara, have three children chr in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania: Eva inon 14 Feb 1783, Elizabeth Biedel on 5 Apr 1782, and Catharine Biddel on 18 Nov 1788. In 1790 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania we have one Andw Bittle 1 male over 16 (Andrew) 2 males under 16 3 females neighbors: Abram Skeen, Benedict Garber, Benj Disment, Aaron Rambo, Antho Vanderslice, Abram Rynor. And then there is a will of an Andreas Bittle in 1790 in Montogomery Co, Pennsylvania.

However in Berks County, Pennsylvania there is also a Christopher Bittle. That one left a will: BITTLE, CHRISTOPHER, Douglass. March 3, 1782 - March 9, 1790. To wife, not named, all household goods and implements of husbandry, except a dresser "which belongs to my stepson Valentine FISHER." To son Andrew £2-10-0. To dau. Maria Barbara articles named. To dau. Margaret 1 English shilling. To stepson Valentine FISHER my big Bible after death of wife. Exr: Wife. Letters to Valentine FISHER. Widow Margaret renouncing. Wits: John Vallentine VOIGHT and William SPERA.

Bittle's who are direct male descendents from eiither the Montgomery County Christopher or the Berks County Christopher are invited to have their Y-DNA tested and submitted to the Bittle Y-DNA Project

In 1758 a George Sell appears in the Maxatawny Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania tax list as a singleman. Their are no other Sells or Biddles in all of Berks County. I suspect this George Sell is George Bittle's wife's brother. George Sell would soon marry Magdalina Bieber (or Magdalena Beaver) and make Maxatawny his home.

MILITARY SERVICE

The Maxetani and Allemangel Independent Guard were in exsistence by 1756 in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. In the fall of 1755, after Gen Braddock's defeat, there were several companies of militia sent into Northampton, and other frontier countries, to guard the inhabitants. The fall and winter were spent in erecting a number of Stockade forts on the frontier of Northampton county. (Source: Col. Samuel Miles' manuscript, dated Feb 4, 1802 reprinted.)

So far no French and Indian War records have been found for George Bittle. However, a sword was among the items in his estate, so it is entirely possible there are military records waiting to be found.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

The History of Northampton County, Pennsylvania tells us that some of the German settlers "came by the valley of the Schuylkill and Perkimen." Chapter XIV notes that "Every vessel arriving at Philadelphia brought German passengers. Those who had come from the Palatinate and from many other parts of Germany in previous years, had been almost exclusively refugee-emigrants leaving their own country for the sole object of enjoyment of religious toleration -but now, at the period of which we write, the errand of the new-comers. was more frequently the improvement of their temporal condition. Very many of these went to the valley of the Schuylkill and of the Lehigh; the latter receiving its full share."

George Biddle is found in the Lynn Twp, Northampton County, Pennsylvania tax lists and church records from 1760 to 1765.

In 1761 George Bittle is found on undeeded land in the tax list. This is the same year when on September 10, 1761 the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania naturalized many citizens living in the Colony. It is also the same year we have Jurg Buttel's confirmation record in Weisenburg Twp. (Source: Warren Ziegler, Pennsylvania Genealogical Findings Weisenburg Chruch, Weisenburg Twp, Lehigh Co, Pennsylvania (1998). FHL US/CAN BOOK 974.8 K2z no. 8 )

We have not learned much about George Michael's sponsor, Jurg Michael Hedinger, other than he was on the Lynn Twp tax list for 1762.

Also in 1761 George Bittle's wife's brother George Sell of bordering Muxatawny Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania went ot Philadelphia to get himself naturalized. (Remember that when you were naturalized you had to take the Lord's Supper within 3 months.)

I suspect there may have been another child born abt 1762, but if so it didn't live past ag 17 because it's not mentioned in George Bittle's will.

ALLEMANGEL

Allemangel a small area located partially in Berks County and partially in Northampton County, that in 1812 became part of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. (Source: Warren J. Ziegler, Pennsylvania Genealogical Findings in the Allemangel Area of Berks and Lehigh (Northampton) counties: Mosellum Church (the Church of the Ontelaunee), Richmond Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania. FHL US/CAN BOOK 974.8 K2z No. 31.)

Lynn Twp borders Weisenberg Twp, and Weisenberg Twp in turn borders Maxatawny Twp (although they are in different counties today). In 1752 Maxatawny Twp was in Berks County, whereas Lynn Twp and Weisenberg Twp were in Northampton County. Several pastors served the Allemangel area but our Büttel were found in the Rev. Daniel Schumacher's records. Daniel Schumacher lived in Weisenberg Twp (now Lehigh County) from 1756-1769.

In 1762 in Allemangel a Maria Salome Buttel and a Catherina Jung are confirmed and recorded in Rev Daniel Schumachers' book. I'm not sure if this is George Bittle's dau Maria Salome, now age 14 or possibly the wife of one of his bothers. Maybe his brother Andreas. In 1762 there is also an unidentified John Beutel in Bethlehem Twp, Northampton County, Pennsylvania--where as our subject, George Biddle was in Lynn Twp Northampton County, Pennsylvania with Michael Hedinger.

In May of 1763 Jurg Buttel and his wife Anna Barbara sponsored the baptism in Weisenberg of Michael and Anna Margareth Hollebach's daughter Anna Barbara.

Also in 1763 George Bittle's son Andreas sponsered the bapt of one Elisabeth Rachen who was the daughter of Elias Ratchen and Rosina. The other sponser was Catharina Jung or Young.

WHERE IS HE 1767-1777?

In 1767 he is no longer in the Lynn Twp tax list. Yet he also doesn't show up in the 1767 Germany Twp, York County (now Adams County) PA tax list. So we are missing records for him and his family from 1768-1777 when he shows up on the 1778 Germany Twp tax list. It may be that his tax records during this time were in Frederick County. My understanding is that the Frederick County tax lists of this time period did not survive.

Abt 1768 dau Marie Salome marr Jacob Kemp, son of Nicholas Kemp of Frederick County. There are many Kemps in Frederick County and so it is hard to sort them all out. Nevertheless, we know that Nicholas dau Mary marr Yost Cover. And I suspect that Jacob (who may have been known as short Jake) and Salome had: Jacob (who marr Sarah Runkles?; end up in Montogomery Co, MD?; known as Long Jake?), Peter (who marr Elizabeth and in 1850 was in New Market/Woodsboro), George (who marr Catherine?) and John.

Abt 1769 his son Andrew Biddle marr Mary Christina Cover. Before George Bittle dies, Andrew and Christina would have 5 children: Jacob, Eva Barbara, John, Sarah, and Maria Catherine. Two of these children would be bapt in Evangelical Lutheran Kreider Church, Westminster, Frederick (now Carroll) County, Maryland.

Abt 1772 dau Eva Barbara marr Henrich Jacob Runckel. There are some people who have said Eva Buttel was of Trappe, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; but I haven't been able to find evidence to support this.

Since Germany Twp, York Co, PA borders Frederick County, MD we might expect to find George in either place since we know his son Thomas had land called "Ohio" that sat right on the border. (Sons John Thomas and George Michael inherited all of their fathers land.)

1778-1779 YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

George shows up in the 1778 Germany Twp, York Co, PA tax list. George died early in 1779 in Germany Twp.

The Biddle Family Website expresses appreciation to:

The cousins from George Micheal Bittle's branch of the family and the Runckle branch of the family who have generously done and shared research.

Rootsweb.com who is hosting this site

The Biddle ancestors who have left us their history.

The Site Editor, while ever chagrined to learn of bloopers and omissions, is pleased to make the corrections.